Getting a driver’s license has long been seen as a rite of passage for the American teen. Disney-esque movies such as “16 Wishes” or “Clueless often feature iconic scenes of teens anxiously awaiting the day of their driving test or begging their parents for an expensive car for their Sweet Sixteen. Yet, despite this longstanding cultural legacy, recent statistics show that the rate of teens obtaining their license has dropped drastically. In the early 1980s, about 80% of minors had a license, whereas by the early 2020s, that number had fallen to around 60%.
This downward trend marks yet another substantial economic and societal shift we’ve seen over the past quarter-century. With the introduction of rideshare apps such as Uber or Lyft, there are plenty of ways for teens to get around more efficiently and cost-effectively than having to spend money on gas and car maintenance. The availability of on-demand rides at any time of day is surely appealing to a teenage audience; thus, this adds to the lack of urgency surrounding driving. For many, a license no longer symbolizes independence with the weight it once did. With students in urban areas having access to reliable public transportation, adding another reason to delay or forgo the pursuit of a driver’s license.
To understand how this trend has played out on a local level, I surveyed the sophomore class at Sacred Hearts Academy. The results mirrored the findings of the larger scale studies: of the sophomore class, only one student — Chloe Wolfert, currently holds a license.
“The first challenge was studying for the permit test — I failed the first time,” Wolfert said. “I had limited time because of sports and my Philippines trip.”
Wolfert faced a multitude of challenges along the way. For starters, she learned that Hawaii requires both parents be present at the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for permit processing if the teen is a minor. “My mom was on a work trip, so I had to wait until she got back,” she said. “It’s just not an inclusive or necessary rule.”
Wolfert also noted the cost and accessibility of driver’s education courses. “I tried to find a course that only lasted two weeks, but they were like $100 more.”
These economic and financial concerns have been echoed by much of the student body in the poll conducted 67.7% of students expressed concern about the expenses that come with driving.
Though financial concerns are a natural part of the driving process, it has undeniably been heightened in recent years. Over the years, our economy has grown and changed. As we’ve gone through outside and internal factors, many of us have experienced inflation, causing the epidemic of rising gas prices.
“There’s several factors in the increasing prices for gas and vehicles,” said Academy economics teacher Whitney Grohowski. Economically, the U.S. has experienced changes in our relationship with the countries that control gas and oil supply. In addition, we’ve seen increased tariffs on foreign supplies and cars. This is something that has been making headlines, especially in recent weeks. She also touched on the addition of laws prohibiting bad working conditions, laws against child labor, for raising minimum wage and more. The addition of these has contributed to the increased price.
The rising costs aren’t due to inflation alone; they reflect a deeper economic shift. International trade relationships have evolved, especially with new agreements and tensions affecting our economy. One of these considerable shifts is with the introduction of tariffs into our economy. These have directly impacted both imported and domestically produced cars. Additionally as labor standards improve, the cost of the ethical production of vehicles has increased prices substantially.
One of the largest causes of death in the U.S. is driving. This is another factor that has contributed to the decline in student drivers is the challenge present with obtaining a license. The statistics on driving deaths show that the U.S. is leading in driver fatalities. This has caused the U.S. to implement stricter laws regulating how we obtain licenses. This has been enforced by the Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) program, a program that specializes in regulating the restriction put on young drivers such as the enforcement of curfews and passenger limits.
Still with the U.S. cracking down on driving restrictions, we are still lagging behind other countries when it comes to our driving rules and restrictions. Many well developed countries have implemented higher minimum driving ages to combat this problem. When the student body was asked about this most found the current age satisfactory, with no students believing the age should be lowered. Instead they shared the sentiment that other drivers should be more cautious when driving.
Many students have reported feeling unsafe when driving, especially in certain environments. In the Academy survey, most students reported feeling unsafe when driving late at night or in the early morning, or when driving on highways and freeways. These concerns reflect the real world problem of road rage. Fast moving traffic and unpredictable drivers prove to be rightfully intimidating for inexperienced drivers, with many students able to recall scary driving situations, getting a hurl of slurs yelled at them and swerving to avoid pedestrians in the early mornings.
The decline in the rate of student drivers is a multifaceted problem, and while it remains a necessary skill, it is less in demand due to a plethora of reasons such as social, technological and economic factors. As society progresses, we can look forward to watching how transportation evolved especially through the perspective of the youngest class of drivers.
